"Our voices were truly heard" - Gabby Thomas 'grateful' on breaking barriers in women's sports as Athlos NYC hosts successful inaugural event

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas recently expressed her gratitude after competing at the inaugural edition of the Athlos NYC. Launched by Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, the meet was a resounding success with a strong turnout at the Icahn Stadium in New York on Thursday, September 26.

Competing as the pre-race favorite at the Athlos NYC, Thomas finished second in the women's 200m event, narrowly beaten by compatriot Brittany Brown by 0.03 seconds. The Paris Olympics bronze medalist clocked 22.18 seconds to secure victory. Notably, this marked the end of Thomas' 2024 season, capping off a remarkable year.

Following her participation in the Athlos NYC, Thomas expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to be able to race at the event on her Instagram handle. The 27-year-old believes that the Athlos NYC was making strides to bring about change and meet the athletes' needs.

“Grateful for the opportunity to race at @athlos last night. While every meet is a chance to push my own limits, this one really pushed the sport forward. Increased accessibility to watch, largest prize pot in women’s track, and our voices were truly heard," she said.

Thomas further expressed her gratitude and pride for the effort that had been put into the event and the community that made it possible.

“Proud of the work, the journey, and the amazing community that showed up to make this event possible. This is the best time I have EVER had competing. Let’s keep breaking barriers,” she wrote.

Notably, the meet offered a cash prize of $60,000 to its winners in each discipline, while the second and third-placed athletes earned $25,000 and $10,000, respectively.

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"This is going to be about celebrating track" - Gabby Thomas on Athlos NYC being unique

Gabby Thomas being introduced to the crowd during Athlos NYC ((Photo via Getty Images)

Before the start of the Athlos NYC meet, Gabby Thomas was questioned on how the event was different from regular track meets. Here's how she responded: (via Citius Mag)

“We have a stage right in the middle of the track. That's not very typical for a track meet and I think it's really exciting. We have this right behind us. I'm not even sure what's going to be happening there, maybe a DJ set. I don't know but I mean that is so cool I haven't seen anything like this at a track meet before.” (2:51 onwards)

She added:

“Normally, track meets are all about track right and they're just about sitting in your seats and watching a race. This is going to be about celebrating track, celebrating the runner, celebrating what we're experiencing and it's going to be an experience for the spectators and I think track really needs that.”

Just as Thomas said, the inaugural edition of Athlos NYC was a hit, with rapper and singer Megan Thee Stallion setting the stage ablaze with her performance. She also gave a shout-out to the female athletes, including the American sprint star.